Handout: Instructions for area supervisors
Roles and Responsibilities
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You may be required to assist the survey manager in some aspects of
pre-survey preparation, such as obtaining lists of private and/or “other”
sector medicine outlets in your survey area for use in sampling.
You are responsible for overseeing all aspects of data collection in your
survey area(s). This includes:
o Organizing data collection visits at sample medicine outlets
o Preparing the necessary materials for data collection
o Supervising data collection activities
o Making sure data collection protocols are followed
o Checking data collection forms at the end of each day for
completeness and legibility
o Validating data collection by conducting the survey at 20% of
outlets and comparing results to those of data collectors
o Collecting and storing data collection forms, and sending them to
the survey manager
You have a crucial role to play in ensuring data quality and consistency.
Instructions
Pre-survey planning
Private sector medicine outlets that will be surveyed as part of data collection will
be selected from a list of all the private medicine outlets in each survey area.
If the survey manager has obtained a list of private sector medicine outlets from
a central source (e.g. Pharmacy Association), you may be asked to check and
update the list for your survey area by consulting with local officials. If the survey
manager has not been able to obtain a list of private medicine outlets, you will be
asked to obtain one for your survey area by consulting with local officials.
Similarly, any “other” sector medicine outlets that will be surveyed as part of data
collection will be selected from a list of all the “other” sector medicine outlets in
each survey area. You may be asked to obtain or verify such a list for your
survey area through consultation with local authorities.
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Preparing for data collection
1. Plan the data collection visits
1: Schedule survey visits and identify back-up medicine outlets.
The survey manager will provide you with a list of sample medicine outlets and
back-up facilities for your survey area.
1. Visit each medicine outlet (sample and back-up), making sure to avoid
their peak hours. If medicine outlets are located too far away to visit in
person, they should be contacted by phone.
2. Introduce the survey using the letters of introduction and endorsement. Do
not say which medicines are included in the survey.
3. Make an appointment for data collection at a date and time which is
convenient for the medicine outlet, avoiding peak hours. Allow 1-2 hours
for data collection, plus travel time.
4. Note the name and telephone number of the contact person at each outlet
5. Explain about the possibility of a second visit for 'validation,' which will
take place in 10% of the sampled medicine outlet.
6. Before data collection starts, telephone each medicine outlet to confirm
the appointment.
2. Prepare a schedule of data collection visits for each pair of data
collectors
For each sample medicine outlet, the schedule should include:
 Date and time of appointment
 Name of medicine outlet
 Contact person
 Location
 Sector
 Number (provided by survey manager)
 Name and contact details of back-up facility to visit if < 50% of medicines
are available
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Example:
Survey area: Eastern Region
Date and
time of
appointment
March
23rd,
13h00
Name of
medicine
outlet
Contact
person
Location
ABC
Mrs.
45 Main
Pharmacy Nguyen Street
Eastern
City
Tel:
+22 414
000
Sector
Number
private 01
Back-up
outlet
name and
contact
details
Main
Street
Chemist
59 Main
Street
Eastern
City
Mr.
Shah
3. Prepare Medicine Price Data Collection form for each medicine
outlet to be visited (sample outlets, back-up facilities and validation
visits)
The survey manager will provide you with a separate Medicine Price Data
Collection Form for:
- each sample medicine outlet in your survey area;
- each back-up facility; and
- each validation visit (you will collect data at 1 public medicine outlet and 1
private medicine outlet and compare your results with those of data collectors).
These may be in different colours to allow you to colour-code the data collection
forms by sector (i.e. public sector forms in one colour, private sector forms in a
different colour, etc.).
The survey manager will also provide you with a list of the sample medicine
outlets and back-up facilities in your survey area. Note that you will identify the
validation sites by randomly selecting 1 public medicine outlet and 1 private
medicine outlet from the list of sample medicine outlets.
Complete the front page of the Medicine Price Data Collection forms with the
identifying information of each sample medicine outlet, back-up facility and
validation facility.
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Complete the following fields:
 Area number
 Name of town/village/district
 Name of health facility/pharmacy (optional)
 Health facility/pharmacy unique survey ID
 Distance in km from nearest town
 Type of facility
 Type of price in public and not-for profit sector
 Type of data
 Name of manager of the facility
Do not complete these fields, as these will be completed by data collectors
during medicine outlet visits:
 Date
 Name of person(s) who provided information on medicine prices and
availability
 Name of data collectors
Do not complete the verification at the bottom of the page, as this can only be
completed once the data collection form has been thoroughly checked for errors.
Note: If the survey manager has provided you with different coloured forms,
make sure you use the same colour of form for all medicine outlets of the same
sector (i.e. all public sector outlets should have forms of the same colour, and so
on).
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Complete
before
distributing
to data
collectors
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4. Arrange for storage of completed Medicine Price Data Collection
Forms
Arrange to copy and store completed data collection forms in waterproof plastic
bags until the completion of field work, at which time you will send them to the
Survey Manager. You will need to store both the original forms and photocopies
in two separate locations where they are protected from moisture, direct sunlight,
rodents and insects.
5. Prepare materials for data collectors
On each day of data collection, each data collection team will require all of the
materials in the following checklist.
Checklist of materials for data collectors
 A list of data collection teams and contact information
 The contact details of their area supervisor, including a mobile phone
number to call in case of difficulty in the field
 A schedule of visits to survey sites
 The contact details of the sites to be visited
 Details of back-up facilities to be visited if scheduled visits are not possible,
or less than 50% of the medicines are available
 Copies of letter(s) of endorsement and letter of introduction
 Relevant handouts or instruction sheets
 A Medicine Price Data Collection form for each sample medicine outlet to
be visited that day
 A Medicine Price Data Collection form for each back-up site that may
need to be visited that day
 A calculator for calculating the unit price of medicines in order to identify
lowest price generic products
 Pens (pencils should not be used to record data), a clipboard and other
supplies
 A notebook to record any significant events or findings
 Field allowance for local expenses
 An identity document with a photograph
Where feasible, each data collection team should also be equipped with a mobile
phone and credit for use in contacting you. Additional supplies which may be
useful include an identity document with a photograph, a local map, and extra
batteries for calculator.
Prepare resource kits containing the above items for each data collection team.
Before each day of data collection, make sure that data collectors have all the
necessary tools and information with them, including the Medicine Price Data
Collection forms specific to the medicine outlets and back-up facilities scheduled
for that day.
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6. Arrange for regular communications
Throughout data collection, you should be available to provide advice to
Data Collectors and answer any questions they may have. Data Collectors
should also meet with you at the end of each day of fieldwork so that completed
forms can be checked and any issues can be resolved.
Data collection
1. Supervise data collection
Your main responsibilities during data collection are to supervise data collectors
and make sure data collection forms are complete and accurate. Go out into the
field regularly with your data collectors to make sure that the survey protocols are
being followed. Identify any problems regarding the data collection process and
resolve them. If you encountered problems that you cannot resolve, report them
to the survey manager as soon as possible.
You are responsible for the accuracy of the data collected by data collectors.
2. Check completed Medicine Price Data Collection forms at the end
of each day
At the end of each day, meet with each pair data collectors and get feedback
about the activities of the day and resolve any problems. Collect the completed
data collection forms from that day. Review the completed forms to ensure that
the data is complete, consistent, and legible.
o Highlight any missing, illegible or suspicious data on the
form.
o If necessary, data collectors should return to the medicine
outlet to collect any further data required.
o Check to see whether fewer than 50% of medicines were
available at any given outlet. If so, a back-up facility will
need to be visited.
o Once you are sure that the data is complete and
reliable, sign the first page of each form to record that it
has been checked.
3. Calculate the unit prices of medicines
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After checking the completed Medicine Price Data Collection forms, calculate the
unit prices of the medicines that have been found:
1. For each product, divide the Price of Pack Found (Column H) by the Pack
Size Found (Column G).
2. Retain at least four digits after the decimal point.
3. Enter the calculated unit prices in Column I of the Medicine Price Data
Collection form and double-check the calculations.
NOTE: Some unit prices may have already been calculated by data collectors in
order to determine the lowest priced generic product for certain medicines. You
should double check any unit prices entered by data collectors.
4. Validate data collection
You need to return to some of the sample medicine outlets and collect data again,
to make sure that the data obtained by the data collectors is accurate and
reliable.
1. Randomly select 1 public sector medicine outlet and 1 private sector
medicine outlet for validation
2. Return to the selected medicine outlets and collect data yourself using
the Medicine Price Data Collection form. Note: Conduct the validation
visits on the same day as the visits to these outlets by data collectors.
3. Compare the data you obtained with that collected by the data
collectors. Identify and resolve any issues regarding data collection
procedures.
4. Make a photocopy of your result and store the original and the copy
with the other data collection forms.
5. Store completed Medicine Price Data Collection forms
Once you are sure that Medicine Price Data Collection forms are complete and
accurate:
1. Make photocopies of all completed Medicine Price Data Collection forms
(sample facilities, back-up facilities and validation visits).
2. Store the original forms and the photocopies in separate locations, in
waterproof plastic bags. Make sure forms are protected from moisture,
direct sunlight, rodents and insects.
6. Send completed Medicine Price Data Collection forms to Survey
Manager
Once data collection is finished and you are sure each Medicine Price Data
Collection form is complete and accurate, send the original copy of all forms
(sample facilities, back-up facilities and validation visits), to the survey manager.
Keep photocopies of the forms with you in the event that the originals become
lost or damaged.
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